Can the giant-slayers hold off the supermaxi?
15/10/2009

The international supermaxi entered in this year’s HSBC Premier Coastal Classic certainly has the waterline length to overshadow other entrants, but will she have the speed?

When Alfa Romeo II set a new race record from LA to Hawaii earlier this year, she achieved an average boatspeed of just over 16 knots.

When, back in 1996, Split Enz set the record for the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic race from Auckland to Russell, she achieved an almost identical average boatspeed of 16.3 knots.

These numbers leave the outcome in next Friday’s famous Auckland to Russell yacht race wide open for speculation, says HSBC Premier Coastal Classic spokesperson Jon Vincent.

“It could be very close. On one hand, Alfa Romeo – which already has 141 race wins to her name - has the size to deliver top performance in all conditions. But given the right conditions, a number of the multihulls can easily sustain speeds in excess of 20 knots. However, they depend on exactly the right conditions to do so.”

The last supermaxi to appear in the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic, Zana, was able to beat the existing monohull record comfortably in a time of 8 hours 29 minutes and 50 seconds, but still failed to come close to touching the overall race record – Split Enz’s best time of 7 hours 20 minutes and 51 seconds.

“What’s remarkable is that Split Enz’s record has stood for 13 years,” says Jon. “Sailing technology has changed drastically since then, yet so far our record is untouched. It goes to show how incredible the 1996 race was in terms of serving up exactly the right conditions.”

Split Enz, which has returned to the country after a number of years in Noumea, is still sailed in a very similar configuration to the 1996 race.

The crew of Taeping – only rivaled by Frantic Drift in racing over recent seasons - thinks that given the right conditions, they could potentially average around 17-18 knots, with bursts of 22-23 knots. Speeds that the 100 footer may well surpass.

The clash for line honours is most likely to be between the Australian supermaxi, and several other boats less than one third of her in size, including Taeping, Frantic Drift, Timber Wolf, Dirty Deeds and Attitude.

Many of the front runners have been modified since the 2008 race. Taeping, an 11.6m Grainger designed catamaran owned by Aucklander Dave Andrews, has taken line honours in the last two events, and has impressed throughout its 2009 race season. This year the boat has added half a metre to its carbon mast, plus a carbon front beam and main beam, lighter rigging, and equipment to assist with tricky night sailing.

In the race between Taeping and Split Enz, Jon Vincent sees Taeping as favoured.

“She's 5ft longer on the waterline, has a new carbon mast and beams, new sails, new rudders and is sailed exclusively by local sailors. The actual sail plan between the two boats (based on working sails) appears to be very similar. Tai Ping has a slightly more radical square head as the boys onboard believe the carbon mast can take the load. Split Enz runs an alloy rig and has very new sails but is not as radical. I'm not sure how they compare on weight but I'd guess Split Enz to be slightly heavier.”

He also explains that Split Enz has better freeboard on the bow, so may not bury as Taeping does, but that Taeping’s five foot waterline bonus may nullify that.

“Last years Coastal was unpleasant and certainly required skill but Taeping had the race to themselves really so that extra 10% wasn't needed."

Frantic Drift, owned by Olympian Dan Slater, has trailed Taeping to the finish in the last two editions of the race, and is crewed by a line up of world class sailors: Dan, Ed Smyth, Nathan Handley and Aaron Macintosh, showing an edge over Taeping in round the buoys racing.

“With a South-Westerly of 5-10 knots we will have a chance,” says Dan.

Improvements to another fast tri, Timberwolf, include a new carbon rig, more sail area, and structural changes, tipped by the owner to make the boat a good 4-5% faster.

“In the right conditions [light to medium breezes and flat seas] we feel we have a good chance in our division, and in perfect conditions could be an outside chance to be first Multihull to Russell,” says owner Tim Willets.

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